ix

The rain fell softly down onto the roof of Hikaru's house leaving a rather soothing, relaxed atmosphere in the night air. Up on the second floor a light was on in one room where two teenagers were engaged, the rain far from their minds.

Klak.

Klak.

As Hikaru reached to play his next stone he said, "Oh, I won't be able to meet up with you tomorrow."

.

Nase nodded. This wasn't totally surprising. After all, she had just inquired about whether it was good to play tonight. Still, she found her curiosity piqued. "I understand. Still, you don't play any games on Tuesdays, so why won't you be able to meet up?"

Klak.

"Because," Hikaru replied, "I have a teaching job in the morning that will last until around lunch. After that I wanted to head over to Touya's family Go Salon and play a few games against him, get myself ready and all for Thursday."

Well, that certainly made sense. Playing games against Akira Toya, even if they were practice games like this one, must certainly be helpful. That was something that the pros could do, what Hikaru could do that others couldn't; just show up to a Go Salon and play Akira Toya in an even game. It must have been nice.

Klak.

Still, maybe it would be all right if she tagged along, watched his game against Akira. Memories of Hikaru's match against Akira at the Young Lions Tournament flashed through her mind, and Nase found herself imagining a game just like it played at a Go Salon.

Klak.

Snapping back into reality, Nase returned her attention to the board. No, it would be best if she didn't intrude on Shindou's game against Touya Akira. After all, she had to worry about herself, get in as much practice as possible, not watch someone else play, even if that someone else were two geniuses like Akira Toya and Hikaru Shindo. Besides, what if she got in the way of Shindou's game, made him lose focus just by being there. The very thought of her might being able to make Shindou loose focus made her blush.

###

"RETREAT! RETREAT!"

A panicked conglomerate of Go Salon patrons began evacuating the vicinity around the table they had previously surrounded. They had too often seen the pair at the table play over the last year, and knew when things were about to explode. They didn't need to wait long for it either.

"WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT? THAT'S A TERRIBLE MOVE!"

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN TERRIBLE? THIS MOVE WILL SUFFICE!"

"Suffice? HA, and you expect to beat Hagiwara 9 – Dan by using moves that suffice?"

Both Hikaru and Akira were, by this point, up out of their chairs and glaring across at one another. Both leaned over the board, hands slammed down on either side as it was unthinkable to slam their hands down on the Go board. "Oh, talking all big and tough just because you already won your Final Kisei match to get into the League huh Toya? Like I'd let you have all the fun in the Kisei League!"

Akira scowled and retorted, "You will be if you keep playing Go like this. Play a move like this one against me in a real match and I'd erase you from the board!"

"No, because I can go here instead, and it now doesn't work for you."

Akira let out half a laugh. "Yeah right! That move leaves you open over here! My goodness Shindo, and to think you claim to be equal to me!"

"Don't get cocky just because I haven't beaten you in an official game yet" Hikaru rebutted. "I will beat you eventually. Besides, you were the one agreeing with me when I was pointing out all those good moves!"

"All those times? I did that twice!"

Hikaru's face became enraged. "TWICE? It wasn't twice, it was four!"

"You were counting? No wonder you couldn't play good Go!"

"Oh yes I can play good Go. Maybe you can't count while playing Go, but what's that say about you?"

"That I actually pay attention to the game! Besides, that was the fifth time you've said 'maybe' to me today!"

"Now you're counting? Was that why you got knocked out of the Honinbo League last year? Keep it up and I'll just pass by you with ease!"

Akira sneered. "Get into the Kisei League before you talk so tough Shindo!"

By this time the two were so close their noses were almost touching, Akira could feel how the blunt bleached bang touches his forehead. Sparks were flying between the two as their intensity rose. Hikaru then added, "So you won't back down Touya?"

Akira just grinned menacingly. "Bring it, if you can."

Grunting abhorrently, Hikaru spun away and marched off shouting, "I'm LEAVING!"

"Wait, Shindou! WAIT!"

Hikaru hesitated for a second…but his chidish pride trumphed. Hepassed by the other patrons who watched him go by partially in shock and partially in awe at the display they had just seen. Hirumi had already grabbed Hikaru's bag, which she handed to him as he walked by and out the door. As he stepped through the doorway, Hikaru turned and glaring back at his rival said, "I'll see you in the Kisei League Touya!" He then turned and left.

Sensing that it was now safe, the patrons began to move back around the room. Several began their post-fight discussion as they often did. "There they go again. You know, you'd think they'd get tired of it after awhile."

"Nah, it's just a way to remind all of us how both Shindo and the Young Master are still kids. I mean, normally the Young Master is so composed."

Another nodded. "Yeah, why he tolerates Shindo like that I don't know. I mean, yeah Shindo has won a game or two, but he's still only a 2 – Dan. The Young Master is now in his second League, or will be once he's back into the Honinbo League. Shindo certainly has some gall trying to compare himself to the Young Master, arguing with him like that."

"He may only be a 2 – Dan, but I'm only a 3 – Dan myself."

The three patrons jumped in surprise as Akira spoke up from behind them. Turning, they observed the young boy. "But Toya-sensei, you'll be a 4 – Dan if you win your next Dan game."

Face cold and taut, Akira replied, "Rank means nothing. It has little to do with a player's true skill, since no matter how strong someone is, everyone starts out as a 1 – Dan. Shindo is not weak, and only a fool would even think to underestimate him. If you don't believe me then play him and see for yourself after he erases you from the game. Just hope the game doesn't cause you to lose your desire to play."

With that Akira turned and walked away calmly back towards the table. The three just turned and looked at one another. "Weren't they just at each others' throats?"

Hirumi, who was walking up towards the three with their tea answered, "Yep, but then they're always like that. I don't even try to understand it anymore." She then gave them their tea and returned to the counter. She's known by now, however intense the two young pros quirrel, Akira just don't like any one badmouthing Hikaru. Hirumi was the one who's always observing Akira since the day he was ten and started going here to play. She was there the day that child entered this Go salon and claim to play Akira, just because he thought he should play against a kid. She saw how Akira has changed since that day.

Sitting down at the table and staring at the game played out on the Go board, Akira sighed inwardly. Why did they always have to end up fighting like this? Sure, as two strong Go players with somewhat different playing styles a conflict on what was the best move was certain to arise, as it had been occurring since the game's creation. Still, he had similar debates with other pros, and never did it erupt like it always seemed to erupt between Hikaru and himself. Perhaps it was the mutual understanding between the two that they were rivals,that urge to compete against one another that caused it. After all, rarely had Akira played a game against someone that carried such intensity as his games against Hikaru carried, especially given the rather lack of truly high stakes such as at the Young Lions Tournament. Winning the tournament meant nothing to him; it wasn't as if it was a big title. It was the rivalry between them that had triggered the intensity.

Then there was the credit, or lack there of, that Hikaru was given in comparison to himself. After all, his own arrival on the pro scene had been huge; the stories of his skill having arrived before his pro career had even begun. The fact that his father had been Toya Meijin only added to the frenzy as everyone wanted to watch Toya Meijin's son climb the pro ranks.

It had not been his father or any other pro player that had caused his star to rise as it had though. That was solely Hikaru's doing. The knowledge that Hikaru was coming up, that he would soon be before him had spurred him on with such passion that he had improved and risen far faster than he would have otherwise. Ogata had been right, his spirit had been lacking until he had heard of Hikaru joining the insei ranks. His rival was coming, and he had to be ready.

Yet none of that credit had been given to Hikaru by anyone save himself and maybe one or two other individuals who understood the truth behind it. Hikaru was an unknown, virtually coming out of nowhere, and his arrival, which by all rights should have been trumpeted as loudly as his own, had gone unnoticed by most. Akira knew though, he knew that Hikaru was an equally blessed genius at the game. Their match at the Young Lions Tournament had laid to rest any last doubts in Akira's mind as to that fact.

That had been why he had finally admitted officially to Amano after the game that Hikaru was his rival. Though Amano had yet to publish the article, it would be out in the next edition of Monthly Go and then people would know. Or would they? The word 'rival' was tossed around so casually by some these days. He was quite certain that the other insei that had passed along with Hikaru considered Hikaru to be their rival, yet to use such a rivalry to compare to his own seemed foolish. There would be many though who might read it as being just that, a friendly rivalry, an acknowledgement by the great Akira Toya that Hikaru Shindo was a strong player. They didn't understand the depth of the rivalry, the passion, the pure pleasure gained in facing Hikaru.

Eternal rivals, pulled together by the strings of fate and destined to do battle, allowing nothing to get in the way, that was the true depth of their rivalry. They were also…friends? he'd say, but so much of that friendship seemed irrevocably tied to their rivalry that the two were almost indistinguishable. The rivalry and the friendship were based on one another, and could not be pulled apart. The joy and pleasure each of them pulled out of the Go that two geniuses could create could never be described, let alone understood, by anyone who did not experience it firsthand.

Hikaru was his equal; he had caught up at last. All that separated them now was the experience that Akira held from his high stake games in the Honinbo League, experience that would be wiped away should Hikaru win on Thursday. When that last difference was erased, the two would be left side by side.

Hikaru had started the race after him, but now he was dashing at Akira's footsteps, the sound of his footsteps pounding in Akira's ears, his breath breathing along his neck. Soon, Akira knew, he would find Hikaru running side by side with him, even on the never-ending road, and in that moment the two would turn their heads and see one another, eyes meeting.

If time froze in that one instant, what would be seen? What would the feeling be, the effect of the meeting of their eyes upon the other? Would one pull ahead of the other, only to be overtaken again and again, or would they hold that moment, and continue down the road side by side? That was the answer Akira sought from his rival, that which would give true meaning to the nature and purpose of their rivalry. Soon Hikaru would be there, and he would discover the truth of whether they truly existed to compliment the Go of each other. Akira could see it clearly, the moment of truth fast approaching, and he would be there waiting when it came.